Minor Arcana: Swords

Motherpeace Tarot Journey

Swords

Air/East/Projective Energy

Ace: A diamond in the rough. Beginnings. The figure on this card is sitting in a lotus position within diamond shaped boxes, light radiating from behind her. All that you touch will turn to gold, but unlike Midas and his curse, your touch will not turn anything to stone. Your touch will ignite a passion and flurry of communication, discovery, creativity, and power. The magickal sword, Excalibur, is yours for the taking, this card tells us. You simply have to reach out and believe in yourself.

Two: What magickal energy– the female figure on this card is standing in a yoga position (the tree, I believe). She’s holding a white feather in each hand, creating the symbol for infinity in the air all about her. Beside her stands a stork, also on one foot. They are on a shore, beneath the full moon, discovering their balance, testing themselves, finding their point of origin, their center. Birth; fertility; unspoken communication; learning about oneself in a moment of solitude; preparing and applying ourselves for the big picture, not just the moment or the immediate future; thinking ahead; gaining perspective. That’s what the two of swords is all about in Motherpeace. We learn best, this card tells us, when we listen.

Three: The three of swords is a card of scattered and ‘dangerous’ energy. It warns of conflict, pain, betrayal, and emotional anguish at various levels. Betrayal may be the worst of the disclosures here. Being mentally stung and struck by someone whom you had complete trust in ruptures our ability to recognize just who we may or may not trust…it collapses all trust, like a house of cards with no solid foundation. When this card appears, a chain– a connection, is broken, often irreparably. The sense of betrayal will have to be worked through, and everyone will have a different idea about how to do this. The most important thing is not to allow this betrayal to contaminate other relationships, other connections, or the possibility of new connections.

Four: The female figure seated in the center of the pyramid is meditating on nature’s balance within her body, a balance that translates to the mind and spirit. She’s in touch with the essence of an energy connected to her chakras; and you can see behind her, speared on a golden rod, the circular color-coordinated spheres for these energy centers. Four is all about balance, but in this case, it is the supreme object in the four of swords. It’s about balance of body, mind, and spirit; it’s about balance between all seven of our main chakras; it’s about carrying this balance through into all areas of our lives; it’s about stopping to center ourselves, to heal ourselves, to nurture ourselves; it’s about making sure that we take care of ourselves in order to take care of others…as most women do. “Find your center.”, calmly says the four of swords.

Five: The image on this card is a pentacle constructed of swords, and within the center is a wasp. The wasp is as trapped upon this card as the individual for whom this card speaks. We can be trapped by many things, and most of those things involve conflict, which leads to chaos, which leads to confusion, which leads to ineptitude and lassitude. The wasp on this card finds herself sitting inert and impotent in the center of this pentacle, trapped by the swords…harsh words, cutting comments, selfishness, thoughtlessness, the inability to compromise, stubbornness. You will need to find that still center of yourself that speaks in whispers and ethereal images. You will need to find that still center that has the power to reach out and still the chaos that surrounds you…only then will you be free of the trap.

Six: This card reels with the energy and idea of freedom. “Let loose,” the six of swords says. Try new things, break new ground, stretch yourself to discover new potential and to develop your talents to the utmost. The essence of the six of swords is freedom in wild unadulterated abandonment. It is the collective energy of our sisters, connecting the universe and harnessing its incredible energy for sheer happiness. Within this card we learn that our individual strength is expansive, explosive, magickal; but when women come together and work for something in unison, the universe will not be able to stop or contain the strength of our will. This card connects you to your sisters, your ancestors, your peers. The six of swords implies that we can do great things in large numbers; it implies that everything we do touches everyone we know, including those who are connected to us indirectly. The six of swords challenges us to soar.

Seven: The seven of swords is a card that inspires us with wisdom, hindsight, determinaion, strength, and the idea that we, as women, are responsible for protecting ourselves. Not every woman has a knight-in-shining-amor stored in her hall closet, not every woman has someone to stand up for her, not every woman has the love and support of a family. But every woman has the ability to defend herself successfully. Grow some balls, this card says, don’t just stand around like a deer in the headlights when action is needed for defense. Make sure your boundaries are strengthened, your space secure, and your guard is up. This isn’t about being paranoid and defensive, it’s about doing necessary things to protect yourself.

Eight: Progression is still progression, no matter the speed at which you are advancing, no matter the speed at which you are completing your tasks. Once in a while, along life’s path, our journey may be temporarily halted by unexpected obstacles. So often we feel that this stop, this temporary cessation of moving forward, is the signal of defeat. On the contrary, once the obstacle as been resolved or annihilated, forward progression will resume at it’s previous pace, or maybe even at a faster pace, because we’ve learned something along the way, we’ve come up with a solution, we solved a problem, we created a positive outcome.

Nine: So many of the swords have to do with confrontation and protection. In a way the nine of swords is advising us to be prepared to defend ourselves, a theme which seems to run through this series. But there’s more here. This card highlights our path in life, all the twists and turns, the detours and the dead-ends. This card tells us that life is unpredictable, and that 80% of it will be perfect and happy, or ordinary and safe; but the last 20% is what is going to catch us off guard, and this is what we have to be ready for. This card warns us against getting so wrapped up in the small percentage, the little things, the glitches and bumps, that we miss the big picture. We won’t appreciate what we have, we won’t meet our full potential because we get side-tracked. Stay on course, as much as you can, the nine of swords says. Wander just enough to discover, be distracted just enough to learn.

Ten: In all decks, this card has dire meanings attached to it. In Motherpeace it’s even more significant. This card is a warning, a warning to all women everywhere: “What effects one woman impacts All women”. Remember this. Remember this when your tongue gets ready to turn a black word against one of your sisters; remember this when gossip runs amok, when there’s favoritism involved; remember this, that there’s two sides to every story; remember that there’s safety and strength in numbers; remember that as women we owe loyalty and an allegiance to woman all over the world, not just women we have personal contact with. This card is a reminder, a reminder to all women everywhere. We have to stick together, we have to support each other, we have to respect each other, we have to love one another.

Daughter: The image on this card highlights a female figure standing on a rock, bracing herself in the wind, hair flying, sword poised to strike, a group of animals huddled below her, under her protection. It confirms to us woman’s dominion over the animal kingdom– the magickal, nurturing, spiritual, mystical connection that so many women just naturally share. It highlights, with the image of a Holy Stone, woman’s connection to the world of fairy, and the spiritual connection that so many of us have with the paranormal, with magical creatures and disembodied spirits. It reminds us of the significance and power that comes with intuition and psychic ability. The Daughter of Swords reminds us that we are the protectors and keepers of Mother Earth; it reminds us that the ability to nurture is what adds to our mysticism, our heart, our femininity. This card reminds us that we are strong, lest we forget.

Son: The lone male figure on this card, a hunter coming home with newly caught game in his hand, surrounded by a ring of red and white roses, epitomizes the men in our family, our husband, sons, and brothers. It reflects on the honor of good men, those men who are endowed with the wonderful instinct to protect, cherish, and love the women in their lives. It celebrates their ambition, their sense of purpose, their stability, and their loyalty. It shines the light on the valor of good men and the principles they stand for.

Priestess: This Priestess of swords is standing in a pure white world and appears to have released a white owl into the barren landscape. The Priestess is sending wisdom forth into the world, and the wisdom that she’s sending forth brings back blessings and magick upon her. This card wreaks of calmness and simplicity. The Priestess of swords is sure of her own power and that of the higher energies she invokes. She’s comfortable in her solitude, whole within herself. She carries the essence of the Crone within her and all the shadows and intuition that follow the Crone upon her journey through the third stage of life.

Shaman: The Shaman of Swords is all about the voice…learning to find it, to use it, to hone it, and to create an instrument of profound communication with this gift. This card is also a warning, a warning that what can be used to build up can also be used to tear down. The voice can be misused as an instrument of destruction, and if we are to succeed in our endeavors, if we are to build our world and our life in the process, we must learn to use the gift of our voice wisely. This card is tapping us on the shoulder, reminding us that what we say may come back to haunt us, telling us gently to use discretion and kindness, wisdom and restraint.

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